Fifteen volunteer healthcare workers referred to as “Warriors with a Heart” Batch 2 from Cagayan De Oro were deployed to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SMPC) last November 29 to assist in addressing the COVID-19 situation in Davao City.
This was after President Rodrigo Duterte placed Davao under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) and as the COVID-19 tally in the city reached the 9,000 mark.
The volunteers were followed by 40 more nurses from different public hospitals in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Central Visayas (Cebu City), who arrived in Davao City the following day. To further help in the city’s response, nearby regions also pledged to succor the necessary health workforce.
Some 35 of these front-liners, which include 33 nurses and 2 medical technologists from Northern Mindanao, will be staying in SMPC until December 14, 2020, to complement the needed human resource for health in the city.
Meanwhile, the remaining 20 nurses from Cebu City were assigned to Temporary Treatment Monitoring Facilities and Hospitals with allocated COVID-19 dedicated beds in Davao City until December 31, 2020.
All 55 healthcare providers had arrived safely in Davao City and were welcomed by the Center for Health Development in Region XI.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque expressed recognition to the healthcare volunteers.
“To our valiant frontliners, we deeply thank you for your tireless dedication to our nation’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and for continuously providing care to all, especially to COVID-19 patients. Your service to your countrymen will forever be appreciated,” he said.
The DOH CHD Region XI also welcomed the arrival of the additional twenty-two (22) health workers yesterday, December 1, 2020, to aid the DOH-DCHD swabbers as the local health authorities conduct a 3-day Aggressive Community Testing in identified barangays with a high risk of COVID-19 transmission.
The Davao CHD targets to swab all close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the region in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the virus.
To date, there are 2,225 active cases in Davao City alone, and 530 active cases in other provinces in Region XI bringing 9,250 cases in total. Moreover, the region has confirmed 6,142 total recoveries and 353 total fatalities.
“We value the bravery of all our volunteers, and we laud the spirit of Bayanihan exemplified by other regions in the city’s fight against COVID-19. The support we received from other regions to help augment the COVID-19 response in Davao City is crucial in this time of crisis. It is through displays of collaboration like these that we will successfully overcome this crisis,” the Health Chief remarked.